Heel-stiffener machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1'.'

L. W. LITGH.

HEEL STIFPBNER MACHINE.

No'.AV 503,608. Patented Aug. 22,1893.

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UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL W. LITCH, OF SWAMPSCOTT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LYNN COUNTER COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-STIFFENERIMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,608, dated August 22, 1893. Y

Application tiled October 24, 1892. Serial No. 449.748. (No model.) l

To all whom tm/ay concern,.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL W. LITCH, of Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Counters for Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of counhalf-molds are employed, co-operating with a former which is inserted between the molds, the molds and the former acting upon a blank in such manner as to impart to it the desired shape, the tiange of the former being formed by suitable ange-formers or wipers movable across the under side of the former.

The invention has for its object, rst, to provide each half-mold with an independently yielding movement, so that, while the former and the counter blank are being inserted between the half-molds before the latter are pressed inwardly, either of the half-molds can yield independently, in case one end or side of the blank is thicker than the other.

The invention also has for its object to enable the former to positively withdraw the completed counter from between the halfmolds.

The invention also has for its object to provide improved means for feeding the counter blanks to the point where they are grasped by the half-molds and former, thus obviating danger of injury to the operator or attendant.

To these ends, the invention consists in the several improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification: Figure l represents a side elevation of my improved counter machine. Fig. 2 representsa top view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a top view ofra portion-of the machine, showing the former and the half-molds. Fig. 4. represents a section on line @-4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5*-5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6-6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view, showing the blank-feeding mechanism. Fig. 8 represents a section on the plane of line 88, Fig. 2. Fig. 8

5o represents a section on line StL-S, Fig. 8,

looking toward the right. Fig. 9 represents a partial plan view and partial longitudinal section of the former, showing the means for withdrawing the formed counter from the half-molds. Fig. 10 represents a side elevation of a part of the machine, showing the meansforoperatingtheiiange-formingwipers.

The same letters of reference indicate the j same parts in all the views. ter-making machines in which two separable In the drawings: a represents the supporting-frame of the machine, having guides or ways a a', on which is fitted a sliding crosshead b.

c represents the former, which co-operates with the half-dies hereinafter described in molding a counter, said former being affixed to the cross-head b. A reciprocating motion is imparted to the cross -head by suitable means, such as a cam d; a toggle joint, composed of linksjor members e e', the former pivoted to the cross-head and the latter to the supporting-frame; and a rodf, connected wi th the meeting ends of said links and provided with a trundle-roll f bearing upon the perimeter of the cam d. The cam is affixed to a shaft g, which is driven by power suitably applied, and rotates the cam, the rotation of the latter causing the toggle links to impart a reciprocating motion to the cross-head, thus alternately projecting and retracting the former.

t i represent the half-molds, which are formed to receive the former and co-operate therewith in molding a counter blank, Said half-molds are mounted in a suitable casing or holder supported by the frame a, said casing or holder being, as here shown, composed of suitably connected top and bottom plates j j', between which are ways or guides in which the half-molds are adapted to slide laterally or in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the former. The top plate j of the casing is provided with guides or ribs j2j2 (Fig. 4), which enter corresponding grooves 7'5 j (Fig. 3) in the upper surfaces of blocks z" i which are axed to the half-molds, said blocks being adapted to slide with the half-molds in the casing.

m m represent springs interposed between the inner ends of the ribs or guides 7'2 f2 and the outer sides of the half-molds Said springs permit each half-mold to yield inde- IOO pendently when the former is entering .the space between the half-molds, so that, in case there is any variation in thickness between the sides of the counter blank, such variation may be compensated for by the'independent yielding motion of the half-molds, the halfmolds being free to yield or slide outwardly,

when the former and blank are entering the cavity between them. v l

I find that a rectilinear motion of the half molds is preferable, to an arc movement for the reason that there is va uniform displacement of all parts of the'inner wall of 'each' mold, instead of a displacement gradually in-A creasing in extent from the inner to the outer or swinging end of the half-mold.

The half-molds are pressed inwardly after the former and blank have been inserted between them, by any suitable means, such as by wedges or cheek-pieces n fn (Figs. 2 and 3), affixed to the cross-headV b, saidwedges acting on the outer ends of the blocks t" '1l' and forcing the half-molds inwardly after the forward motion ofthe former c has ceased.

The iiange of the counter is formed by wipers o o (Fig. 5), which are pivoted at o o to a block o2, adapted to slide in the casing over the flange of the counter.

containing the half-molds, the rear ends of said wipers being pivotally connected to links o3 o3, the meetingends of which are connected by a pin o4, which enters a slot o5 (Fig. 6) in the upper plate j of the casing or holder. The block o2 is secured to a cross-head o6, which` is adapted to slide in the half-mold casing, and is connected by rods o7 o'7 with a crosshead o8, pivotally connected to the upper end of a lev er o9, the lower end vof which is pivoted at o10 to the supporting-frame. Y Said lever has an off-set or arm o12 (Figs. 1 and 10), having a trundle-roll 013, which is adapted to be engaged vby cam-shaped ribs 014 o15 aflixed to the cam d, the arrangement being such that, at a given point in the rotationof said cam, the said ribs will move the lever o9 in such manner .as to force the block o2 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, and thus cause 4the wipers o o to move simultaneously inward in opposite directions and wipe or fold forming mechanism is substantially the same as shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 480,023, granted to me August 2, I 1892, and therefore is not claimed in this application.

The former is provided with feed dogs p p, which are tted to slide in slots formed in the sides of the former, and are adapted to be projected so that their outer ends will engage the inn er surfaces of the sides of acoun. ter q of said former, as shown in Fig. 9. l The dogs p are normally retracted by springs p', and are projected to engage the countery by means of the tapering or wedge-shapedl end lof a rod 192, which is movable longitudin ally in an opening in the former. Vp3 represents a lever, Vwhich is pivoted to theformer, and has its lower end jointed to the rodp2. f

This angelug r2 affixed to the supporting-frame, the

arrangement being such that, when the former is'moving forward to press the blankinto the divided mold, -the rod pvwill be moved back from between the dogs;` but, when the former begins its backward movement, the rod p2 will-be moved to the position shown in Fig.

9, thus forcing the dogs outwardly against the inner surface of the counter and causing them to forcibly withdrawthe counter from the mold cavity.

represents a receptacle or magazine for counter blanks q', said blanks bein garran ged edgewise, as indicated in Figs. l, 2 and 7, above the holder or casing in which the halfdies are located. At one end of the magazine tis a fixed plate t', having vertical slots t2 t2, through which project spurs 153153 (Fig. 2), afxed to a forked lever t4, which is pivoted at 155 to the swinging end of the lever fr'. Y The lever t4 is normally held bya spring t6 in such position that the spurs t3 press against the blank q lying next to the platef. The lev er fr is given a vertical swinging movement by means of a cam-shaped groove u, formed in an ear u', affixed to the sliding cross-head band receiving a trundle-roll u2 on the lever r (Fig. l). When the cross-head is-moved forward to carry the former between the halfdies,the lever r is raised bythe action of the cam' groove u, thus carrying the spurs t3 to the upper ends of the slots 2. When the cross-head is moved in the opposite direction, the lever fr is depressed and `the spurs t3, which are at this time held in engagement with the outer blank in the reservoir by the springt, are caused to force said blank downwardly througha slot provided in the bottom -of the magazine@ the blank being thus caused to drop upon stops or vgages 'u (Fig.`

7), which support it in position to be taken by the former c when said former again ad vances. At the lower portion of' the downward movement of the lever t4 and the spurs t3, said lever is swung outwardly vby the contactof apivoted latch-piece or hook `w with an inclined ear or flange w affixed to the lower portion of the piece t', said inclined ear causing the lever t4 to swing outwardly at its lower end,'as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8, thus withdrawing the spurs t3 from the slots t?. During the upward movement ofthe vlever t4 and spurs t3, the spurs 4are prevented from' swinging inwardly until they reach their highest point, by means of aiguard-piece wz, aiiixed to the piece t', said guard-piece being arranged to bear upon the latch w during the upward movement of the lever t4 and prevent the said lever from swinging inwardly. As the lever i4 approaches the upper extreme of its movement, it rises above the guardpiece wi, and is therefore permitted to swing inwardly, so that its spurs again enter the slots t2 t.

IOO

IIO

The mass of counters in the magazine t is Y pressed forward toward the platet, by means of a spring follower y (Fig. 2), which is actuated by springs yy, arranged on sliding rods y2 y2 affixed to said follower.

I claim- 1. In a counter machine, the combination with a reciprocating former, of two independently movablehalf-molds provided with guideribs, fixed guides in which said half-molds are movable in a rectilinear path at right angles to the direction of movement of the former, said guides being provided with grooves which receive the guide-ribs of the half-molds, springs behind said half-molds and permitting them to yield independently and accommodate the thickness of the counter blank, and means for pressing the halfmolds inwardly against the former.

2. In a counter machine, the combination with two independently movable half-molds, of a reciprocating former, mechanism for alternately projecting and retracting the former, counter-engaging devices or dogs in the former, and means for alternately projecting and retracting said dogs, as set forth.

3. In a counter machine, the combination with the half-molds and the reciprocating former, of the blank magazine, a vertically means substantially as described for swing- Y Y ing the lever lr vertically, a spring whereby the forked lever is pressed forward to engage its spurs with a blank during its downward movement, and devices whereby the forked lever is retarded during its upward movement, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 15th day of October, A. D. 1892.

LEMUEL W. LlTCI-I.

Witnesses:

W. H. CHADWELL, GEO. F. PUTNAM. 

